The present invention relates to a writing implement having a displaceable refill, such as a retractable ball-point pen or a propelling pencil.
Writing implements of the type concerned are known, which have a shaft, a refill having a writing tip and displaceable in the shaft, and a shifting mechanism which is actuable by a push button and by means of which the refill and its writing tip can be displaced into a writing position against a restoring force or a spring and with repeated actuation can be displaced back into a rest position. The push button cooperating with the shifting mechanism is movable axially in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the shaft and the refill.
Writing implements of this typexe2x80x94as a rule in the form of ball-point pensxe2x80x94are widely known. If the push button is actuated, the refill is displaced in the longitudinal direction of the shaft constructed in the form of a casing, in such a way that the writing tip emerges from the front end of the said shaft. The shifting mechanism then ensures at the same time that the refill is fixed in this position. Repeated actuation of the push button releases the writing position of the refill, so that the restoring force or restoring spring can then push the refill back into the rest position, in which the writing tip comes to rest inside the shaft.
A writing implement of this type, in the form of a retractable ball-point pen, is disclosed in German Gebrauchsmuster (Utility Model) No. 297 16 002 U1, which includes a printed sleeve arranged in a viewing window and rotatable at the same time in that case by the shifting mechanism.
In a writing implement or retractable ball-point pen of this type, the push button, which projects out from. the upper end of the shaft, has to be moved almost exactly axially by the user.
The object of the invention is to provide a writing implement of the type concerned in general, in which the push button is arranged to be protected within the shaft, and at the same time a simple or convenient actuation is made possible.
According to the invention, there is provided a writing implement including an actuating lever projecting at the end of the shaft remote from the writing tip, and mounted pivotably with respect to the shaft, with its pivoting movement being changeable or convertible into an axial movement of the push button, which is acted upon by the lever on the side of the push button remote from the shifting mechanism.
A pivotable actuating lever is thus provided at the end of the shaft, so that the actual push button acted upon by this pivoting lever can be protected inside the shaft. In addition, the actuation of a pivoting lever on a retractable ball-point pen or a similar writing implement represents an original and novel manner of actuation, which is expected to prompt commercial acceptance of the product. It is simple and convenient to operate a pivotably mounted actuating lever, with its pivotal movement taking place against the restoring force and restoring movement of the push button. Pivoting of the actuating lever will cause displacement of the refill into the writing position and, in the next instant, its return displacement into the rest position, so that the user can perform the same movement each time to effect different displacement actions of the refill and its writing tip.
In order to convert the pivoting movement of the actuating lever into the axial movement of the push button, at least one oblique face may be provided in the region of the contact between the actuating lever and the push button, on at least one of these parts. The push button and the actuating lever need not therefore be rigidly connected to each other, but only have to touch or abut each other, so that the pivoting movement of the actuating lever can be converted by reason of the aforesaid oblique face into the axial movement of the push button guided axially in the shaft. Conversions of pivoting movements by way of oblique faces into movements guided in straight lines are known per se from other technical fields, so that what is involved herein is also a possibility that can be technically simple to implement.
The oblique face used for converting the pivoting movement of the actuating lever into the axial movement of the push button may be flat or may be curved in a convex or concave manner at least in part. As a result of the shaping of the oblique face or its surface lines, the translation and conversion of the pivoting movement into the axial movement can be effected in such a way as is expedient for a smoothly running and effective displacement of the writing tip. The size of the pivoting angle can also be determined and kept within suitable limits by the choice of the oblique angle and the shape of the oblique face.
A particularly effective conversion of the pivoting movement of the actuating lever into an axial movement of the push button can be attained if at least one oblique face is provided in each case in the region of the contact of the pivoting lever and the push button both on the actuating lever and on the push button, and the mutually touching oblique faces slide one over the other, or each other, during pivoting of the actuating lever. Although the counter member can be moved by a relative movement of one part with respect to an oblique face, the mutual displacement and thus the conversion of a pivoting movement into a movement in a straight line is more effective if two suitably shaped and mutually adapted oblique faces cooperate on the two parts movable relative to each other, in which case the shape of the oblique facexe2x80x94in a straight line or curved in cross-sectionxe2x80x94can be adapted to effect such a mutual displacement movement.
A structurally simple arrangement of the writing implement and, in particular, the contact region between the push button and the actuating lever can consist in that on its side or end face towards the actuating lever the push button has a taper comprising or forming the oblique face, the surface of the said taper coming increasingly closer, or converges, in the direction away from the writing tip along the central axis of the writing implement. A recess, which has a negative oblique face and which engages over the oblique face of the push button in the rest position, may be provided at the end of the actuating lever towards the push button.
The oblique face may be shaped in the form of a taper arranged at the end of the push button. A corresponding recess in the actuating lever may engage over this taper, so that pivoting of the lever displaces the taper in the axial direction and thus actuates the push button. As a result of the use of a suitably shaped recess engages over the taper, pivoting of the actuating lever in opposite directions can have the same effect in each case.
It is particularly advantageous if the recess provided on the actuating lever is substantially symmetrical to the central axis of the actuating lever, and the taper provided at the end of the push button engages on mutually opposite sides over the oblique areas arranged on both sides of this axis in the rest position. A symmetrical shaping of this type allows the push button to be actuated by any mutually opposed pivoting movements of the actuating lever. There is no need for a user to observe any specific pivoting direction, and he can pivot the actuating lever in either one or the other direction, each time achieving the desired actuation of the push button.
A still more extensive multiplicity of the possibilities of actuation occur when the oblique face on the push button or the taper forming it is formed as a pyramid, cone or part of a sphere, and the recess on the actuating lever has a negative contour matching it, and the actuating lever is mounted for pivotal movement in several or all directions. In such a case, in which the oblique face on the push button and the corresponding oblique face on the actuating lever are also designed in three dimensions, i.e. extend towards any desired sides, any desired pivoting movement of the actuating lever can therefore be performed in order to actuate the push button. It is particularly advantageous if the cross-section extends at right angles to the central axis of the writing implement through the oblique face on the push button and through the recess in the actuating lever are both circular. As a result, pivoting of the actuating lever in any direction always results in the same axial. displacement movement of the push button, so that a very convenient and simple operation of the writing implement is made possible for its refill to be displaced into the writing position and back again.
The contact region, in particular the recess, acting upon the push button and arranged at the end of the actuating lever facing the push button can be arranged on a substantially spherical thickened or enlarged portion of the actuating lever. Over this spherical portion an undercut in the end of the shaft engages, so that the tapering shaftxe2x80x94which includes the undercutxe2x80x94itself supports the actuating lever for pivotal movement.
This results in a form of the actuating lever which is shaped particularly advantageously from the structural point of view, since its spherical thickened portion on the one hand can comprise the contact with the push button, in particular a recess, and, in addition, has sufficient space and at the same time represents the part which in the shaft with the undercut provided there forms the pivoting support for the actuating lever.
It is advantageous that the spherical thickened portion of the actuating lever is movable or displaceable in the axial direction of the shaftxe2x80x94in the direction towards the writing tipxe2x80x94with respect to the undercut. With this arrangement, if intended, the user can also actuate the actuating lever like a projecting push button, i.e. he can press on the actuating lever in the axial direction, whereby the push button acted upon by the actuating lever is in turn moved axially. Such a displacement for actuation is possible as a result of the undercut engaging over the spherical thickened portion only in the axial direction away from the writing tip. The shaping and the production of the shaft as well as the assembly of the actuating lever are also correspondingly simple.
Preferably, the actuating lever projecting from the end of the shaft is surrounded by a resiliently deformable cover. As a result, not only is soiling in the region of the mounting of the actuating lever eliminated, but the actuating lever is also protected from inadvertent damage and is prevented from disengaging from its mounting position.
More preferably, the cover surrounds the free end of the actuating lever remote from the shaft in the rest position, in particular at least to touch it during its actuation and to act as a restoring element for automatically centering the pivotable actuating lever, upon release, by virtue of its resilience. In the situation after a user has pivoted the actuating lever and moved the refill into the writing position, the push button and the actuating lever will no longer be in contact under the restoring force or the force of the restoring spring, the actuating lever will nevertheless be pivoted by the cover back into its initial central position co-axial with the shaft. The cover. thus has a double function, as. it protects the actuating lever and moves it back into its initial position after each pivoting movement.
The resilient cover may be made substantially cap-shaped, and the edge of its rim can be clamped between the shaft and a retaining ring for a clip of the writing implement. This represents a particularly simple arrangement and fastening for the actuating lever.
With individual or several of the features described above combined, a writing implement is produced, the refill of which is movable by means of a push button against a restoring force into a writing position and, with repeated actuation, is movable into a rest position under the action of the restoring force, in which case, however, the push button can be concealed and protected in the interior of the shaft and can be displaced indirectly by way of a pivotable actuating lever. The use of the pivotable actuating lever represents a very simple and convenient operation.